Jannik Sinner had a bizarre moment with a fan at the US Open after a spectator attempted to reach into his bag following his quarter-final win over Alexander Bublik.
Sinner demolished Bublik 6-1 6-1 6-1 under the lights on Arthur Ashe Stadium and a fan, who may have felt short-changed by the 81-minute win, appeared to try and open his bag while the World No 1 gave away his towel and posed for a photograph.
The fan reached over onto the court and looked to unzip Sinner’s bag from behind his back, but he was quickly stopped by a member of the security staff, who swatted his arm away, before Sinner turned and walked off the court.
The incident comes a few days after a man was filmed snatching a hat signed by Polish player Kamil Majchrzak from a young boy at the US Open. Piotr Szczerek, the CEO of the Polish paving company Drogbruk, went viral after he was caught grabbing the hat and stuffing it away.
Sinner was not asked about the incident afterwards and will continue his US Open title defence when he takes on fellow Italian Lorenzo Musetti in the quarter-finals on Wednesday.
Bublik called Sinner “AI-generated” after his 6-1 6-1 6-1 win and the Italian defended his opponent against a suggestion that he should have fought to make it more of a match on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
As Jannik Sinner was giving a towel away…
— Barstool Tennis (@StoolTennis) September 2, 2025
A fan tried to steal something from Sinner’s bag
pic.twitter.com/5GiA21UCtS
“At the end of the day, we try to make the sport as interesting as possible,” Sinner said. “At times I felt like today I was playing some great tennis, and I managed to break him very early, which then gave me then the confidence to serve a little bit better and play from the back of the court a bit better.
“It was a faster, or a fast match. But in the same time, from my point of view, it's good. Obviously people come here to see some great tennis matches, some great battles, and not always that's the case.
“I don't know what he said. I don't know if he was in here, but, you know, I can just judge from my point of view and then how I managed to play, and then it was a good performance from my side.”
